(CNN) - Rand Paul is defending his relationship with Mitch McConnell after helping his fellow Kentuckian defeat a tea party-backed challenger in a GOP Senate primary.

"I came out of the tea party movement. I'm very concerned about the debt. I'm very concerned about big government," Paul said on Friday. "But I think the misnomer is to think somehow Senator McConnell isn't. That's what his whole entire career has been predicated upon - fighting against big government."FULL POST

A day after the Kentucky Republican announced his intention to stall the nomination of David Barron to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, the ACLU backed his threat to stage a talking filibuster until President Barack Obama's administration turns over legal opinions on much-debated drone program to senators.FULL POST

Fourteen months after the Republican firebrand from Kentucky railed against President Barack Obama administration's unwillingness to rule out using drones on American soil - and the lack of judicial justification for such hypothetical attacks - Paul vowed on Thursday to deliver a repeat performance.

Memphis, Tennessee (CNN) – Sen. Rand Paul sharply criticized Hillary Clinton for her handling of Benghazi, which he argued should disqualify her to serve as U.S. president, in remarks Friday to members of the Republican National Committee.

He charged that when Clinton served as Secretary of State, the agency was spending money on items that were not needed instead of boosting security for the U.S. diplomats serving in Libya.

Memphis, Tennessee (CNN) - Sen. Marco Rubio will emphasize the need for the federal government to rethink how it addresses key programs by embracing “free market principles” and new technology in a speech to Republican leaders and activists meeting here this week to discuss political strategy.

The Florida GOP senator’s address is just one of several he has delivered on the topic of reform – already, he has spoken about how to transform education, innovation and poverty. And it is a subject Rubio will carry to New Hampshire on Friday and back to Washington, DC next week when he will appear at the National Press Club to talk about “retirement security in the 21st century and propose new reforms to strengthen entitlement programs,” the senator’s spokesman Alex Conant told CNN.

(CNN) - Rick Santorum said Monday he doubts a Libertarian-leaning candidate, like Rand Paul, could be nominated to lead the Republican Party in a presidential election.

Asked by co-host Van Jones on CNN's "Crossfire" if he could support the Kentucky senator if he winds up running and is nominated in 2016, Santorum said he doesn't think he’ll have to consider that ultimately.

CNN's John King and other top political reporters empty out their notebooks each Sunday on "Inside Politics" to reveal five things that will be in the headlines in the days, weeks and months ahead.

While much of political Washington was recovering from “prom night” – the annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner – our ‘Inside Politics’ family was up early to get you ahead of the big political stories to come.